Soft Sugar Cookies w/ Pink Frosting

If you follow me on Twitter, or if you're a fan of the HTEAC Facebook page, you already know that I was seriously craving these cookies today! I must admit, a lot of times when I have a particular craving, I don't always hit the nail on the head with the recipe I choose. Today, I did it! These cookies are exactly what I wanted. They're soft and moist without being cake-like. The flavor is bangin', and the frosting is... well... the icing on the cookie! I predict these cookies will disappear like a fart in a fan factory. And I'll just go ahead and make a check mark on my bucket list beside "Use the idiom 'disappear like a fart in a fan factory.'" CHECK! (PS: Sorry if you're grossed out. Stop thinking about farts and start thinking about cookies!)

I figured I didn't want to spend all day smearing frosting on these cookies, so I made a shortcut by rolling some of them in pink sugar before baking. They looked so pretty. The cookies with the frosting are very sweet, but it didn't stop me from eating a whole one and two bites off a second one. I bet they'd be perfect for kids! This recipe is totally a keeper.

For the frosting, I didn't use a recipe. I started with
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
I mixed in about
1-2 cups confectioners' sugar
until it was stiffened. Then I added about
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drop red food coloring
and mixed until it was creamy and spreadable.

Soft Sugar Cookies (from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)
Makes 2 dozen cookies

2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
14 Tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Set oven rack in middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup of the sugar in a shallow dish for coating and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

Beat softened butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the vanilla then eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl & beaters as needed.

Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combineds. Give the dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure dough is combined.

Line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using damp palms, roll 2 tablespoons of dough at a time into balls, then roll in sugar to coat. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies with the buttered bottom of a drinking glass, then sprinkle and remaining sugar over flattened tops. (I just layed a piece of plastic wrap over my cookies and pressed them with the bottom of a clean glass.)

Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and just beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Allow cookies to cook on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.